Cigarette or the like



NOV. 28 1939. $TR|EFL|NG v 2,181,614

CIGARETTE OR THE LIKE r .F'iled Jan. 20, 1939 INVENTOR. P0551375 ETEEFLWE BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 28,1535 i I I i i t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1, Claim. (01. 131-52) My invention relates to improvements in ciga- Other objects, advantages and 'meritorious rettes or the like or articles of a similar character. characteristics of this invention will more fully An object is to provide a cigarette or like arappear from the following descriptiomappended ticle characterized by having associated therewith claim and accompanying drawing, wherein: a filter medium so impregnated or treated as to Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of my ina substantially filter out acid and nicotine fumes, vention wherein the filter medium forms a part from that portion of the smoke which is drawn of what may be a removable cap adapted to be into the mouth by the smoker. received over the end of a conventional ciga- The principal products .of cigarette smoke are rette,

carbon dioxide, water vapor, acid fumes, nicotine Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of my inven- 10 vapors, and tar. The first two substances are not. tion wherein the filter medium forms an integenerally regarded as harmful to the smoker. gral part of the cigarette structure,

Those components of the smoke which are' gen- Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of my invenerally regarded as harmful are the acid fumes tion wherein the filter medium differs in detail and the nicotine vapors. Only a small portion in construction from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 15 of these harmful ingredients resulting from the Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of my invencombustion enter the smokers system with the tion, and smoke drawn into the mouth. Much of such Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of my invenharmful products is consumed or drifts away with tion wherein the filter medium is adapted for use the smoke from the burning end of the ciga in a cigarette holder or the like. 0 rette. In the various embodiments of my invention It has been found that if a suitable filter meillustrated in the drawing the filter medium is dium, such as porous paper fabric, is treated or so disposedthat the smoke drawn by the smoker impregnated with suitable substances such as into the system from the burning tobacco is certain of the alkaline earth compounds as, for caused to pass through the filter medium. In 25 example, calcium or magnesium oxide or hya cigarette this filter medium may constitute an droxide, preferably in the amorphous or colloidal integral part'of the cigarette wrapper or strucstate that the filter medium becomes particularly ture or it may be separable therefrom and it may effective in absorbing. and neutralizing the acid include, if desired, the wrapper or portion and nicotine fumes in the smoke. Such filter thereof in addition to a filter disc or diaphragm 30 medium is impregnated to such an extent as to and it may be positionedat the extreme end of be definitely alkaline but not so heavy as to be the mouth piece or spaced therefrom. Further.- irritating to the smoker. more the filter medium may be embraced-in a If desired that portion of the end of the cigastructure which is capable of assembly in a holder rette which is held in the mouth of the smoker or other similar article adapted to support a 35 may be entirely free from such impregnation, the cigarette or cigar or even forming a part of the impregnated filter portion being spaced from the smoke passageway of a tobacco burning pipe. extreme end portion so held. v The embodiments shown in the drawing are il- More particularly my invention resides in the lustrative. I

40 provision of a filter medium associated with a In Fig. 1 the cigarette is illustrated aspro- 40 cigarette or other tobacco containing smoker's vided with the usual wrapper l0 and filler of article which filter medium is su'fiiciently porous tobacco l2. A cap Il may be provided. The to pass the smoke therethrough and is impregcap is cup shaped to be opened at one end and nated with a substance which operates to absorb closed at the opposite end. The closed end is the acid and nicotine fumes passing through the provided with a disc or diaphragm element It 45 medium. In the preferred embodiment the imwhich is of porous fibrous structure such as relapregnating substance functions not only because tively porous paper that is securely fixed as a of its porous structural character to mechanically closure end for the cap. This porous diaphragm absorb such undesirable fumes and vapors but It may be impregnated with a suitable absorbing I also functions to chemically neutralize the acid compound as hereinafter more particularly de- 50 fumes passing therethrough. scribed and here characterized as an impregnant The invention is shownparticularly in associaso that when smoke is drawn therethrough the tion with a cigarette but such filter medium might acid fumes and nicotine fumes are absorbed be associated with a cigarette or cigar holder, or thereby. Not only are they absorbed thereby the like. but as will also more fully appear hereinafter 55 they are chemically neutralized so that only a very small portion of these materialsgenerally regarded as harmful will be drawn into the smokers system. The filter disc I6 is normally sufficiently porous and is so constructed for this purpose as to permit the smoke to be readily drawn therethrough and if so desired the porosities may be increased by small apertures such as 18. v

This cap it is here shown as removable so that the caps may be sold separately and may be inserted by the user over the end of any conventional cigarette. It is obvious, however, that if it were so desired the cap might be adhesively secured to any particular cigarette and sold therewith forming an integral part of the cigarette structure.

In Fig. 2 the filter forms an integral part of the cigarette structure though here the filter is indicated as 20 and is inserted in the mouth piece end of the cigarette wrapper l as indicated. The filter is impregnated as described and is of a porous character and serves the same purpose as the filter in the .cap structure of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 the filter is of a somewhat different character. The mouth piece end of the cigarette may be a cork or other tip portion 22 and the filter is indicated as 24. This filter may be formed" of a. porous paper which may be creped and rolled up into a cylinder and 'inserted as shown into the mouth piece portion 22 of the cigarette as a cylindrical roll. Such paper is of course impregnated or treated as heretofore referred toand as hereinafter more particularly described.

In the construction shown in 'Fig. 4 the filter proper is indicated as 26 and it is carried in a mouth piece portion 28 which may be of the type of a cylindrical tape but is positioned spaced from the end of such mouth piece portion as shown. In this case the'mouth piece portion might be left free from impregnant material and the filter piece 26 alone impregnated and there would not then be any contact of the impregnar'it material with the lips of the smoker.-

It is apparent that in any of these forms-the entire cigarette wrapper or the mouth piece end portion of the wrapper may also be impregnated with the material that is used as a treatment for the. disc filter proper. Such impregnation will serve to neutralize and absorb some of the acid and nicotine fumes because of contact with the wrapper itself as these fumes pass through the cigarette.

In Fig. the filter medium is illustrated as a disc or diaphragm element 30 which may be received within the socket end of a cigarette holder 32 and the cigarette inserted thereagainst. Such a disc or diaphragm element might-be used incombination with a cigar holder. It might be inserted in 9. provided part of the smoke passageway through a pipe stem, or the like.

That portion of the paper or sheet of filter material which is impregnated or treated may be treated with various compounds or substances to render it highly absorptive of the fumes and vapors which are objectionable. I have found that the alkaline compounds such as calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide and magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide are particularly effective. They function both by chemical neutralization and chemical absorption to eliminate the acid fumes passing therethrough with the smoke. They also function to absorb the nicotine vapors.

Such oxides and hydroxides should be of an amorphous or colloidal character such as result from their formation by the wet process of manufacture as distinguished from the dry proces of roasting. When precipitated in such wet process they possess the desired porous physical structure which makes them particularly effective in the mechanical absorption. of harmful fumes. They also function chemically to neutralize the acid fumes. The carbonates of calcium and magnesium may be used but they are not so effective as the oxide or hydroxide of these elements.

It has also been found that aluminum oxide and aluminum hydroxide in the colloidal and in the amorphous state function also by chemical as well as mechanical absorption to the same end. These aluminum compounds may be either in the mtural form such as bauxite or artificially prepared compounds.

Certain siliceous substances such as silica gels may also be used though they function primarily by way of mechanical absorption. Other siliceous materials such as certain of the clays as, for

example, bentonite, preferably activated, also possess useful absorption values and may be used. 

